Zendaya Opts Out of Lifetime Aaliyah Biopic

Zendaya has officially dropped out of the much talked about Lifetime Aaliyah biopic.

According to E! News, the young star jumped ship on the project because of issues surrounding the rights to Aaliyah's music. A tweet posted on her Twitter account read, "Aaliyah has always been an inspiration to Zendaya. She was honored to portray her and pay tribute to her. If she is going to do it, she wants to do it right."

Lifetime confirmed the news saying, "We are sad Zendaya will no longer portray Aaliyah. Production is currently on hold."

The biopic, tentatively titled Aaliyah: Princess of R&B, is based off of Christopher Farley's best-selling biography about the late singer. The movie depicts Aaliyah's life and career from her Star Search debut to her rise in Hollywood and ultimately her untimely death.

News of the biopic received backlash from fans who were unsure about Zendaya portraying Aaliyah and the idea of a TV movie about the beloved singer. Despite criticism there were still plans to move forward with production for the summer with a fall debut. The project is currently on hold.

The Disney star opened up about her decision during a recent interview. Check out the clip below.